HOT DISH: Stars Aligning for We’re All for the Hall Concert

(CMT Hot Dish is a weekly feature written by veteran columnist Hazel Smith. Author of the cookbook, Hazel’s Hot Dish: Cookin’ With Country Stars, she also hosts CMT’s Southern Fried Flicks With Hazel Smith and shares her recipes at CMT.com.)

There’s never a shortage of great music and worthy causes in Nashville, but Tuesday night’s (April 16) We’re All for the Hall concert is one of those special nights where the stars are aligning to raise money for one of Music City’s gems — the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

Once again, Keith Urban and plumb perfect Vince Gill will be serving as musical directors for the concert with the theme of “Rebels and Renegades, the Outlaws Are In.”

“The purity in making music on your own terms — to create art in your own way — for me is at the heart of the Outlaw spirit,” Keith said. “It’s those Outlaws that we celebrate this year, who not only made it possible for a guy like me to do what I love, but who play a pivotal role in the strength of country music’s diversity.”

The first three We’re All for the Hall concerts raised approximately $1.5 million for the museum’s operating expenses, including the care of its collection, exhibits, programs and more.

Brad Paisley’s “Accidental” ControversyBrad Paisley wasn’t expecting the controversy that’s surrounding “Accidental Racist,” a track from his just-released Wheelhouse album. But that’s what he got when the national media learned about his collaboration with rapper LL Cool J and its message that misunderstandings between the races still exist in this day and age.

During an appearance last week on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, Brad said he’d been thinking about racism after last year’s arrival of two movies — Lincoln and Django Unchained. He told Leno that “Accidental Racist” was meant to raise questions, as opposed to providing answers.

“What we’re trying to do is explore what happens when two people have a dialogue,” Brad said. “The entire album Wheelhouse is meant to touch on some themes that I think aren’t normally touched on in music. And in the context of the album, the song makes a little more sense.”

Regarding the song, he says, “It’s not perfect, but it is honest, and it comes from a good place.”

Brad and LL Cool J are also featured on “Live for You,” a collaboration they recorded for the rapper’s next album, Authentic.

Among my favorite moments were Luke Bryan crying like a saint after hearing his name called as the winner of the entertainer of the year award and Blake Shelton kissing his beautiful wife Miranda Lambert to celebrate their win for song of the year for “Over You,”
a song they wrote together after being inspired by memories of Blake’s late brother.

Brad Paisley’s ACM schedule was tighter than tight. At one point, he had nine minutes to travel from the awards show at the MGM Grand Garden Arena to make it onstage at the ACM Fan Jam at the Orleans Arena. Blake and Luke Bryan assured him the trip would be quicker if he’d hop into the back seat of a police car.

See the Hot Dish recipe of the week: [news id="1595786"]Potato Cheese Scallop.[/news]